


Ink and Intentions

by icemakestars



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: AU, Fainting, M/M, Mild Blood, Tattoos, just guys being dudes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 07:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21316672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icemakestars/pseuds/icemakestars
Summary: Laxus was excited for his day to end, tired of tattooing and ready for home.That all changed when Gajeel walked through the door.
Relationships: Laxus Dreyar/Gajeel Redfox
Comments: 7
Kudos: 44
Collections: Fairy Tail LGBTales, Fairy Tail Rarepairs





	Ink and Intentions

**Author's Note:**

> A reque$t for the incredible butchherza on tumblr!! Check out their art it’s good and gay <3

The day had ticked to an end, and Laxus was more than ready to go home. There had only been two clients that day, and one had been in for over four hours; she was a beautiful brunette, even Laxus had noticed and he was not attracted to women, but she was too flirtatious and smelled of booze. By the end of the session, Laxus had accomplished an excellent start to her back piece, and a headache which he had only just managed to shift. It was fortunate that she was not his first client; at least he had had a semi-peaceful morning.

“Laxus?” 

He turned to face his final client, a man who was roughly his age and had messaged him through the internet to book. This was his first time at Laxus’ shop, and the blond suspected it was his first tattoo as well. 

“Gajeel, is it? Nice to meet you.” He swivelled on his desk chair, took the other man’s hand in his own. His arms were toned and held several surface piercings, all seemingly well taken care of and not rejecting, which was always a positive sign when giving someone a modification of any kind. His hair was long, and thick, but held in a tight bun and revealed large tunnels and other cartilage piercings covering his ears. Laxus only had his lobes and nipple pierced; the fancier names were lost on him. Still, he recognised the septum and eyebrow piercings, and knew that there was a name for the double studs on Gajeel’s lower lip, but could not bring it to mind. The man seemed to be accustomed to needles and pain; tattooing him should be easy enough. 

By all accounts, he was hot. Laxus liked men with long hair, and the fact that he obviously worked out was a serious bonus. But knowing Laxus’ luck, he would already be taken, or worse, straight.

“Take a seat.” Laxus gestured to the leather settee opposite him, and Gajeel complied. As soon as he was sat his leg began to bounce, his eyes darting all across the room. 

Laxus cleared his throat.

“You vaguely told me what you wanted so I’ve drawn up a couple designs. Do you want to go through them now?” 

Gajeel jumped, seemingly surprised to hear Laxus’ voice. He nodded, leaning forward to take a glance at Laxus’ open sketchbook.

He had wanted a simple, traditional design, and Laxus had settled on a heart with an arrow piercing it, the name Gajeel had requested in bold black letters on a ribbon in the centre of the heart. It was not a design which Laxus particularly liked, but had grown used to giving people ink which was not totally to his tastes. He believed enough in his talents to make them work, anyway.

“I like those!” Gajeel seemed genuinely excited, his eyes wide and smile even wider. 

That was Laxus’ favourite part of his job, making people so happy with his artwork. Especially attractive young men like Gajeel, who seemed to be in exceedingly short supply. 

“Glad to hear it. What was the name again?” He asked, pencil in hand, ready to adjust his drawing as necessary.

“Lily.” 

Laxus glanced up quick enough to catch the pink tainting Gajeel’s cheeks, and the way he tried to disguise his embarrassment with a cough. A female’s name… perfect. 

Laxus truly could not wait for this day to end.

“Okay, I’ll scan this in and then we can make any necessary adjustments.” 

Gajeel sat in silence and watched Laxus work. It was slightly uncomfortable; Laxus was used to clients being overly chatty, or ignoring him completely and using their phone to pass the time until the actual tattooing process began. Gajeel seemed to fall somewhere in the middle, attentive but quiet, and that just added to his intrigue. 

“So is this your first tattoo?” It felt odd, Laxus being the one to initiate the conversation, but he could not have people leaving his shop and saying that he was hostile. Even if he was, naturally, not a people person. 

“Oh? Yeah. My first.” 

“Well I’m sure that, with piercings like those, you’ll have no problems at all.” Laxus smiled at him. Gajeel did not reciprocate. 

The printers low rumble was a blessing, drowning out the silence and giving Laxus something to focus on other than Gajeel’s intense stare. 

“This is ready to go whenever you are.” 

Gajeel nodded and stood, his gaze fixed on the paper in Laxus’ hand. The blond moved through to his back room, not waiting for the other man to follow. He could hear the awkward footsteps behind him, and that was enough.

Laxus sat on his stool and watched as Gajeel came and stood tentatively in front of the leather massage table. 

“You want this on your forearm? Take a seat and I’ll prop your arm up.” 

There was hesitancy on Gajeel’s features, edging towards true fear. Still he complied, rolling up his sleeve to real even more toned muscles. Laxus had to draw his eyes back to the transfer paper. He lined up the tattoo and transferred the ink. When he was pleased with how it looked he leant back.

“Check the placement and size in the mirror, and then we can get started.” 

Gajeel was pleased with the placement, and seemed slightly more comfortable when he sat back down. Laxus had his gloves on, the ink prepared and gun set up. Only then did he realise that he would have to hold onto Gajeel’s biceps, hover an inch from the other man’s face and feel Gajeel’s breath on his skin. He pressed his legs together, grateful for the tight jeans he had dressed in that morning. 

“Let’s do this.” Laxus pressed the heel of his hand on Gajeel’s forearm, the warmth of his skin tamed only by the blue latex of the gloves. 

He pushed down on the peddle beneath his foot, allowed the familiar buzz of the needle to ease himself into his work. Laxus had been doing this for too long to be distracted by beautiful people, even if it was a struggle in the beginning. 

As soon as the needle hit his skin, Gajeel tensed. It was common for people who were having their first tattoo. It was a unique kind of pain, different to any other body modification that Laxus had experienced. Still, people often adjusted given time, and they had hardly begun. 

Laxus had only done one full stroke when he felt Gajeel leaning towards him. 

“Are you okay?” Laxus lifted his head up, but it was too quick; his lips were almost on Gajeel’s. They looked soft, and moist, and the way that they were parted was so inviting… God, Laxus needed to get laid. Especially if it was affecting his work. 

He looked up but Gajeel’s eyes were already half-closed, and Laxus had to swing his arm away to stop the needle from nicking the other man’s skin. It was obvious where this was going, as Gajeel’s chest pressed against Laxus’, his head lowering and lowering until it missed Laxus’ completely, falling on his shoulder instead.

Gajeel was out cold. 

Fainters were rare, but they happened occasionally. Laxus was mostly shocked that a man with as many modifications as Gajeel would be weak to a needle. Still, he laid the man down gently, grabbing a plastic cup from the cupboard and dashing to the sink to fill it, afraid to leave Gajeel alone for too long. 

By the time Laxus had placed the cup by Gajeel’s head, he was coming around, long eyelashes flickering and nose scrunching up in a way which was almost adorable. 

“Where?” Gajeel began, stopping only when his bleary eyes found Laxus’ face.

He sat up too quickly, would have fallen straight back down if Laxus had not caught him and held him close. Gajeel was blushing furiously now, opening and closing his mouth as he stared at Laxus, confusion dominating his features. 

“Did we have sex?” 

Laxus almost dropped him.

“No? You’re in my studio, getting a tattoo.” 

Gajeel’s expression shifted from horrified to mortified in a second, and he swatted Laxus’ hands away, downing the water offered to him and placing the cup on the floor by his feet.

“I’m so sorry man- ” 

“Don’t even worry about it. How are you feeling?” 

Gajeel rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly,

“Better, I guess. I’m just really not good with blood.” 

Laxus raised an eyebrow, sat back onto his stool and eyed up the surface piercings poking from his skin,

“But you’re okay with getting pierced?”

“Well,” Gajeel cleared his throat. “These aren’t traditional piercings; they’re micro-dermal, and the procedure is so fast I couldn’t see anything from her hands in the way.” He reached up and rolled his septum ring through his fingers. “And these on my face were in a position where I couldn’t see anything anyway, so blood has never been a real issue before.” 

Laxus stretched out his legs, shaking his head in disbelief. For a man who so clearly loved to look different, this was a rather large hurdle to get across.

“At least you have your girl to take care of you when you get home.” He turned to face his supplies, peeling off the now contaminated gloves and securing two new ones. 

“I definitely do not have a girlfriend.” Gajeel’s voice went high, and when Laxus looked at his face he seemed genuinely afraid. 

“Is Lily not your girlfriend?” 

Once again, Gajeel’s face ignited. He started to stammer, eyes searching for something to stare at other than Laxus. Under his breath, he mumbled,

“Lily was my cat. He died last month. Well… he was eaten” 

He knew that it made him a bad person, possibly even the worst one alive, but Laxus could not help but laugh. It was so absurd, so unusual, and the relief of hearing that Gajeel was not seeing a woman had gotten to him. 

“I’m sorry man, it isn’t funny it’s just… the way you worded it. How did it happen, can I ask?” 

“My ex-boyfriend’s snake got out. Lily was old, like over seventeen, so he was just too slow.” 

It was surreal, the story and the realisation that, maybe, Laxus was in with a chance. 

“Your ex-boyfriend?”

Gajeel obviously tensed, prickling, and Laxus understood. You never stop coming out to people, and trying to work out how people are going to react is hard. If anything, Laxus had more respect for the other man for being so honest with a stranger. 

“That a problem?” Gajeel’s eyes narrowed, his body inclined away from Laxus, who smiled wide, as dazzling as he could manage.

“Considering that I came out almost ten years ago, I wouldn’t worry about it.” 

Seeing Gajeel blush was not something that Laxus could imagine himself tiring of, especially when it was clear that the other man was eyeing him up in a different, much more available light.

“Sorry, I didn’t even realise…” 

“It’s okay man, most people don’t.” 

Gajeel nodded, a single curl of black hair falling onto his face. 

A silence stretched then, thick and awkward with no way to break it. Laxus studied Gajeel’s face, how he had stubble grazing the underside of his chin, and a scar which spread just over the bridge of his nose. He had an interesting face, not conventionally attractive but still handsome, and the way he held himself was just short of confident. There was something about him which intrigued Laxus. He wanted to get to know him better.

“How about we break today into two sessions instead of one?” Laxus adjusted the inks, putting the coloured ones back where they were kept. “That way it would decrease the amount of time you spent around blood.” 

“And increase my amount of time here.” 

“Well, I’m certainly not complaining about that.” 

Laxus smirked, and Gajeel grinned, a laugh falling from his lips. Their eyes met, and it was intense for a moment. Something was building, and Laxus could not wait to find out exactly what it was. He broke the tension, letting his fingers trail along Gajeel’s bicep.

“The outline is half-finished. If we do this today then next time I can fill it in with colour and shading.” 

When Laxus was comfortable once again, he rested his palm on Gajeel’s skin, steadying him, but the man was almost shaking now; there was no way that Laxus could do his job well when his subject was clearly so on edge.

“How about you tell me about yourself, to keep your mind off of it? And don’t look, for God’s sake.” There was mirth on Laxus’ lips, and it did not go unnoticed. Gajeel roller his eyes playfully in response.

“I’d rather ask about you, if you don’t mind.” It was not phrased as a question, and Laxus wondered how a man who was so easily embarrassed could display such confidence. It was an attractive trait in of itself.

Laxus pressed down onto the pedal,

“What do you wanna know?”

The buzz of the needle was welcome, and Laxus relaxed when he heard Gajeel exhale a shaky breath. 

“How long have you been doing this for?”

Laxus grimaced,

“Well I got my first tattoo when I was fourteen.”

“Seriously?” Gajeel interrupted. “My old man woulda strung me up by my ballsack.”

“That’s an interesting way to put it.” Laxus laughed, wiping away some of the excess ink and blood to clear the surface he was working on. “My old man never cared much about what I got up to though.”

“So you’re not on good terms with him then?” Gajeel’s tone was quieter; more gentle. Laxus hated talking about his father, hated the pity he received as a result. He felt like his lungs were too large for chest, like breathing was a total impossibility.

“Whatever gave you that impression.” Laxus choked out dryly, and Gajeel clearly sensed not to pursue the topic, something which Laxus was exceedingly grateful for.

“Are you seeing anyone right now?” Gajeel blurted out, and he was lucky that Laxus was such a professional, because his hand almost slipped in surprise. Laxus steadied it just in time. 

“Straight to the point, eh?” He smirked.

Laxus could physically feel the heat radiating from Gajeel’s face, and if he weren’t so concentrated on his job, Laxus would have loved to tease him. Instead he let out a breathy laugh,

“I wish. Can’t seem to hold a guy down, unfortunately.”

“Maybe you just haven’t met the right one.” Gajeel said quietly, and Laxus’ head did snap up at that, eyes guarded, not wanting to get overly hopeful just yet. Just in case. 

“Maybe not.”

He was almost finished with the line work, and Laxus wished that it was a larger piece, so he could keep Gajeel here for longer. Get to know him better.

“What type of guys do you like?” Laxus asked, easing the pressure from his hand when the other man shifted.

“Well I date both men and women, although I do find it easier with guys.”

Laxus hummed, wiping away the last of the ink and leaning back to admire his work.

“For women I tend to like shorter, more petite girls.” 

That was disheartening; Laxus was neither of those things. At over six foot and weighing eighteen stone of pure muscle, Laxus had never been seen as delicate or demure in his entire life. 

“But for men I tend to like those who are bigger than me, taller and stronger. And blonde.” Gajeel added the last part hastily, and Laxus grinned.

“That so?” 

He applied some cream onto Gajeel’s fresh tattoo, wrapping it up and explaining to him in great detail how to care for his ink. Gajeel seemed to be paying full attention, which was more than Laxus could say. Every time his wrist brushed against Gajeel’s arm, skin touching skin, he felt something stir in his chest. Laxus wondered what it would be like if it were his fingertips instead. Or his lips. 

“Right well, I would say that that’s all for today.” 

“Do you have a pen and paper?” Gajeel seemed panicked for a moment, and Laxus screwed up his face, rummaging in his draws until he found the requested items.

Gajeel snatched them eagerly, hunching over until most of his loose hair covered his face. It looked soft, and pretty, and Laxus was surprised with how badly he wanted to run his fingers through it. 

A hand on his arm brought Laxus back into the present. Gajeel handed him the scrap of paper, smiling sheepishly.

“My number, so that we can arrange another session.” 

It was a lie, of course; Gajeel knew where to find Laxus’ work profile, because he had messaged it before. This was something personal, an offering to explore the tension which was so clearly building. There was no way that Laxus could refuse. 

“Thanks, I’ll message you when I’m free next.” Laxus spoke slowly, studying the way that Gajeel’s face fell. “And then also when I can fit you in again.”

Gajeel’s face lit up, his grin contagious with his thin lips and sharp teeth. He was a strange man, with a shy disposition and yet an underlying confidence. Not to mention that his first tattoo was in dedication to a cat. But there was something compelling about him, something which Laxus could not place. Simply speaking, Laxus liked him already. The number in his palm felt weighted with promise, and other things which Laxus was excited to discover. 

“I’ll see you around then.” 

As Gajeel left, Laxus wracked his brain for any reason to make him stay. But there were no credible ones, and he had to resign himself to the fact that it would be a week or so before he could see Gajeel again. Despite his previously foul mood, and awkward customers, Laxus regretted his earlier thoughts. Now that he had met Gajeel, Laxus no longer wanted the day to end, could not wait until he could find an excuse to see the other man again. 


End file.
